


Of Games and Knights

by Araminia16



Series: Of Growing Up [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Dig Dug, F/M, Fluff, Mike is a knight in shining armor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2017-11-15
Packaged: 2019-02-03 00:12:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12737130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Araminia16/pseuds/Araminia16
Summary: The year of solitude is almost up and Mike begs Hopper to take Eleven to the arcade. It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.





	Of Games and Knights

So. Not feeling well today but I’m rewatching Stranger Things so I decided to do a little drabble about Eleven’s first arcade experience. 

My next story will probably be out on the weekend. And it will have what you all have been waiting and asking for. The Talk with Mike. :)

XxOxX

It was a miracle. Hopper had let her out of the house just shy of her year of solitude and she was riding on the back of Mike’s bike with all four of her other friends as they made their way into town. The ride was a little uncomfortable as they were both getting too big for bikes anyway but she liked being close to him regardless. 

Mike had knocked on the door and asked Hopper if she could come to the arcade with them. He came by every weekend since the Snow Ball and asked if she could go out with them. Every one. She had so far only been allowed to go to Mike’s house, once a month, for a D&D game and that was because she had begged and pleaded with him until he gave in. 

Most days, on Saturday, he stayed at Hoppers with her, tutoring her on all the things that she had missed by not going to school. It was the only way Hopper let him in because he didn’t know what kids were learning in school and most of the time Mike didn’t either. It was just a good excuse to be close to each other. 

Maybe Hopper decided that he was tired of being asked about leaving but no matter the reason she was so happy to have the wind in her face and the friendly banter echoing around her. 

The ride was tiring for Mike with the two of them but when they pulled up to the arcade El could only stare. The lights, the sounds coming from inside the building were mesmerizing and Mike dismounted the bike and turned to her, smiling in response to the star struck look on her face.

“This is the arcade. We spend a lot of time here playing Dig Dug and other stuff. I think you are going to love it.” His excitement was contagious, and even if El wasn’t already so very happy to be out of the cabin she would just be happy feeding off his happiness. 

He offered her a big smile and his hand which she readily took. The rest of them piled inside while he tugged her forward into a brand new world. 

The sounds were louder, lights brighter, and it smelled of sweat and sugar. Her nose wrinkled but she continued forward into the fray and was abruptly pulled in front of one particular station. It had a screen like the TV but it was larger with buttons and switches on it. 

“Okay, so this is Dig Dug. You basically have to make tunnels and shoot and kill monsters and avoid letting them get you.” Mike rambled on.

“And I have the highest score.” Max bragged.

“Not for long.” Dustin shucked off his coat and reached into his pocket for change. The coins jingled around as he pulled out enough to get the game started. 

“Okay. Watch.” Mike looked at her and pulled her closer to the rest of them so she could see better. His thumb was absently stroking the back of her hand and she could feel this slight flutter in her chest. It was good but distracting. 

The game started up and Dustin began to move.

Eleven was enthralled by the little characters on the screen and the speed at which Dustin’s hands worked the controls. He pressed buttons and flicked the switches with precision and Eleven was as much watching him as she was the game. 

“Son of a bitch!” He snarled as the game screen faded to black and a large ‘Game Over’ floated on the screen. 

“Looks like I’m still the champion.” 

“You want to try?” He asked Eleven gently.

“I don’t know.”

“Try. You’ll love it.” He encouraged and brought her forward to the controls, nudging Dustin aside. “Okay so this is forward, back, side to side, this is shoot…” He pointed to each as he named it and showed her how to move it then rifled through his own pants and pulled out coins that he put inside a slot and the game screen changed.

Eleven put her hands on the controls and when the game came on it didn’t take her long to have a ‘game over’ on her screen as well. 

“Pretty good for your first try.” Mike encouraged and put more coins in the slot. “Try again. If you want.” 

Eleven nodded and when the game started she was ready. This time, with the encouragement of her friends she got a higher score than before. 

“Go again?”

“No. What other games are there?” Eleven was eager to experience as much of this new place as she could in one day.

“Let’s show her air hockey!” Dustin chimed in.

“Or Pac man.” Came Will’s small voice.

“Okay. We’ll walk around. If you see something you want to play then we’ll go for it, okay?” Mike clasped hands with her again and they started back around. 

Eleven spotted a game that looked interesting and was about to tell Mike when she heard a familiar voice from behind them. “Hey. What are the nerds doing now?”

Troy stood with his arms crossed over his chest and an overly cocky look on his face. His lackey, James stood not far from him. 

“Fuck off.” Lucas and Max said together. 

“She’s new. Haven’t seen her before.” He gestured to Eleven. “What’s such a pretty thing doing with you losers? Why don’t you ditch them and come with a real man. I’ll show you a good time.” 

“That wouldn’t be you.” Max huffed under her breath.

“What did you say to me, bitch?” Troy started forward but before he could move more than a step toward them with his fist balled he had been knocked to the ground in the blink of an eye.

Mike didn’t even remember moving, certainly didn’t really remember raising his fist but he did remember the connection of his fist with Troy’s jaw and standing over the bully looking at him with fury. “Apologize to them. Now.” He rumbled out.

“You little…” Troy started to stand up and was about to take a swing of his own when Eleven stepped up next to Mike and leveled him with a glare. 

Troy’s face went white as he stared at Eleven, now seeing what he hadn’t before. He started stuttering and lifted a hand to point at her. “Y—y—you.” 

“What’s the matter, Troy? You look like you are going to piss yourself.” Dustin mocked, remembering the first time he went toe to toe with Mike and El. 

“Shut up, Henderson.” James hissed out and looked around now at all the other kids staring at them. 

Troy got up off the ground, “It’s your lucky day, Wheeler. I’m feeling generous. But you better watch your back. You won’t always have that freak with you.” 

“Apologize to them, now.” Mike growled and his fingers curled into a fist. 

“Whatever. Sorry.” Troy mumbled out and made a beeline for the exit. 

When he left the, the guys were slapping Mike on the back. 

“Dude! Where did that come from?”

“That was awesome!”

“Fuck yes.” 

Mike flexed his hand, feeling the ache starting up in his knuckles. 

Eleven took that hand in both of hers and rubbed at the soreness with her fingers, bringing them up to her mouth and planting a kiss to his closed fist. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I’m sick of his shit. And he doesn’t get to talk to you or Max that way.” Mike glared at the exit, itching to go back and beat the shit out of the bully. No one talked to El like that. 

Eleven kissed his hand again and rubbed it, “My hero.” She smiled shyly at him, remembering a show on TV that she had heard it from.

Mike couldn't help the blush which warmed his cheeks at her compliment.

“Mike’s a regular old knight in shining armor.” Max chimed in, slapping him on the back. “Now that the trash is gone lets have some real fun.” 

Their little party spent all day at the arcade, playing games and drinking sodas that weren’t at all good for them, eating popcorn and candy and dancing and when Hopper swung by at the end of his shift to pick Eleven up she could barely keep her eyes open but didn’t stop smiling all the way home.


End file.
